27 feb 2012

Fix it Center Prohttps://wc.ficp.support.microsoft.com/Dashboards/Main/SelfHelpCase (beta) is an automated troubleshooting service from Microsoft. This service can help make it easier to identify solutions to problems with Microsoft applications. Fix it Center Pro can use targeted analysis to scan your system to identify and resolve specific problem areas. In addition, Fix it Center Pro can help find the most suitable content, tools, and forums and help address the symptom that you see. Fix it Center Pro can also help with a troubleshooting task that you are performing through its Guided Search feature.

Fix it Center Pro has several features that can be used to help diagnose issues. Those features are as follows: Guided Search helps you find the most suitable content, tools, and forums and helps address the symptom that you see or the troubleshooting task that you are performing. Work Items enables you to track your research as you are resolving an issue. If you cannot solve a technical issue on your own, click the Escalate button to turn your work into a Support Request (in which case, charges may apply).

Support Requests enables you to track or create new Support Requests with Microsoft (in which case, charges may apply).

Analysis sessions scan your system to identify solutions for specific problem areas. The results are uploaded to Microsoft servers to be processed and to identify any known issues. If a known issue is found, a message is displayed that explains the steps that you can take to resolve the problem. You may escalate the diagnostic results into a Support Request for more help from Microsoft if you want (in which case, charges may apply).

Work Items, Analysis, and Support Requests can all link to one another so that the relationships between them are clear and easy to track. Diagnostic results

If the diagnostic does not resolve your issue, you can easily create a Support Request. To do this, click the New button in the Support Request Toolbar. Or, click the Escalate button in a Work Item (in which case, charges may apply).

If you chose to open a Support Request, and the Fix it Center Pro diagnostic resolves your issue before you start to work with a Microsoft Support Professional, you will not be charged for the Support Request.

I have tested Machine Memory Dump Collector on my Windows 7 PC x64 and seems a very interesting tool.

21 feb 2012

If the current messaging system is a legacy version of Exchange, I make use of the LDIFDE.exe command-line utility to export the current Exchange configuration to a file by executing the following command from a server class domain-joined machine:

The output file ("ExchangeConfig.txt") contains a complete snapshot of every Active Directory object and attribute currently set by the legacy Exchange system. This information can assist in the discovery and audit process, as well as provide insight to items that may need to be cleaned up prior to deploying Exchange 2010.

An example of a cleanup item can be any object that references a deleted object. For example, by performing a search for the text "0ADEL," I found the following Mailbox Database using an invalid Public Folder database that has been deleted: